Seattle Shop Buys FDPR

LOS ANGELES WongDoody Communica-tions, a sister shop of advertising agency WongDoody that provides public relations services, said it has acquired Faiola Davis Public Relations.

The value of the acquisition, which had been in the works for two months, was not disclosed. Five of Faiola Davis' six employees have moved from the agency's Beverly Hills, Calif., office into WongDoody's Los Angeles outpost, which now has 20 advertising and PR staffers, said WongDoody Communications president Jeff Hasen. He added that the deal came about after the agency received a call from Faiola Davis founder Heidi Davis and partner Sara Faiola, who were looking to sell the shop.

"We've been moving in a direction of integration and becoming a full-service agency and we saw this as a great opportunity to acquire an established, highly successful 10-year-old agency that had a parallel path with us," said Hasen. He noted that WongDoody and Faiola Davis were working together on Alpine Electronics and have collaborated in the past on Virgin Interactive, MGM Interactive and RioPort.

Davis, who is based in Cape Neddick, Maine, will serve as a consultant for WongDoody Communications. Faiola, who lives in Boston, has left the agency following the birth of her first child, said Hasen.

"Our long-standing relationship with WongDoody and their respect for the work that has come out of FDPR over the last 10 years made them the ideal partner for this new venture," said Davis in a statement. "We are excited to become part of this dynamic and creative organization and we are looking forward to the new opportunities this relationship brings to our clients."

All of Faiola Davis' clients, including Symantec Corp., Alpine Electronics, Buena Vista Games, Synacor and Amaze Entertainment, are now working with WongDoody Communications, said Hasen.

With the acquisition, WongDoody Communications has eight full-time employees in Los Angeles and Seattle, and income of more than $1 million. The PR shop launched in Seattle in 2002 and works with clients such as the Washington State Department of Transportation, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Orca Bay Foods and the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County.

LOS ANGELES WongDoody Communica-tions, a sister shop of advertising agency WongDoody that provides public relations services, said it has acquired Faiola Davis Public Relations.

The value of the acquisition, which had been in the works for two months, was not disclosed. Five of Faiola Davis' six employees have moved from the agency's Beverly Hills, Calif., office into WongDoody's Los Angeles outpost, which now has 20 advertising and PR staffers, said WongDoody Communications president Jeff Hasen. He added that the deal came about after the agency received a call from Faiola Davis founder Heidi Davis and partner Sara Faiola, who were looking to sell the shop.

"We've been moving in a direction of integration and becoming a full-service agency and we saw this as a great opportunity to acquire an established, highly successful 10-year-old agency that had a parallel path with us," said Hasen. He noted that WongDoody and Faiola Davis were working together on Alpine Electronics and have collaborated in the past on Virgin Interactive, MGM Interactive and RioPort.

Davis, who is based in Cape Neddick, Maine, will serve as a consultant for WongDoody Communications. Faiola, who lives in Boston, has left the agency following the birth of her first child, said Hasen.

"Our long-standing relationship with WongDoody and their respect for the work that has come out of FDPR over the last 10 years made them the ideal partner for this new venture," said Davis in a statement. "We are excited to become part of this dynamic and creative organization and we are looking forward to the new opportunities this relationship brings to our clients."

All of Faiola Davis' clients, including Symantec Corp., Alpine Electronics, Buena Vista Games, Synacor and Amaze Entertainment, are now working with WongDoody Communications, said Hasen.

With the acquisition, WongDoody Communications has eight full-time employees in Los Angeles and Seattle, and income of more than $1 million. The PR shop launched in Seattle in 2002 and works with clients such as the Washington State Department of Transportation, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Orca Bay Foods and the Economic Development Council of Snohomish County.